The Hindenburg disaster is so well-remembered primarily because it was so well-documented.

A wire service photographer was taking pictures of the world's largest airship as it tried to moor in Lakehurst, N.J., 75 years ago. Also, a newsreel camera was rolling, capturing the dirigible as it dropped water ballast just before the explosion. But most famously, WLS radio man Herb Morrison was on the job.

His presence there wasn't a given. The Nazi-swastika marked Hindenburg had made this trans-Atlantic flight from Germany a number of times, and while it was the anniversary of the opening of the service, the reason Morrison used to persuade his bosses in Chicago to let him go was to test new equipment.

His very human reaction to the tragedy would become one of the most famous news radio broadcasts of all time: "It's burst into flames. ... Get out of the way, please; oh my, this is terrible. ... It is burning. ... This is one of the worst catastrophes in the world ... oh, the humanity!" Morrison chokes up and sounds like he is sobbing. At times, he apologizes to listeners and falls into stunned silence, only to return moments later to describe more of the scene.

But Morrison's job wasn't finished. The Tribune reported later that German employees at the terminal, worried the disaster would harm the image of Nazi Germany, tried to impound the recording equipment. "I managed to distract them while Charles (Nehlsen, WLS engineer,) gathered up the equipment and ran out of the building with it," Morrison said. "We literally had to hide out until American Airlines could provide us with a plane later that night. We took off for Chicago from a remote corner of the airport."

One more interesting note: Those familiar with the recording know that Morrison's voice rises considerably as he reacts to the events, despite Morrison's famously deep voice. That equipment he was testing recorded at the wrong speed, making his voice sound higher than it was.